


The Sentinel

by Miss_Vile



Series: Life Begins Anew [6]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Cold Logician my ass, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Soulmates, The Riddler and Hatter are causing mischief, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:35:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23135500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Vile/pseuds/Miss_Vile
Summary: He dared not risk a sound and jeopardize these nightly visits. But he so desperately wanted to reach out. To touch his beloved bird. To know that he was real and not some cruel figment of his imagination meant to torment him and remind him of everything that he could not have.
Relationships: Edward Nygma & Jervis Tetch, Jonathan Crane/Jervis Tetch (mentioned), Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Series: Life Begins Anew [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393399
Comments: 11
Kudos: 61





	The Sentinel

**Author's Note:**

> This story makes a lot of references to _Our Home in Gotham._ The letter Ed mentions is from [Chapter 42.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19354426/chapters/48064294)
> 
> Here's a little peek behind the curtain of what Ed has been up to lately. It didn't fit in with the chapters I've been writing so I decided to make it a standalone piece. Hope you enjoy! Your comments give me life.

Edward watched Oswald as he slept and held back the sob that threatened to escape his throat. He dared not risk a sound and jeopardize these nightly visits. But he so desperately wanted to reach out. To _touch_ his beloved bird. To know that he was real and not some cruel figment of his imagination meant to torment him and remind him of everything that he could not have.

It had been more than a year since they spoke face-to-face. There had been a thick pane of glass separating them last time. They couldn't feel each other's warmth nor share the same breath. With all of the chaos ripping through the city and the disappearance of Mayor Chang, Jim Gordon had been unable to secure them regular visitations. They had their letters though. And that had been enough to keep the two of them company during their imprisonment.

But Edward wanted more.

He didn't benefit from isolation. Arkham Asylum- in spite of her overcrowded cells- was the loneliest place in Gotham. Ed had the company of the Scarecrow and his absolute madman of a lover, but they were their own island on the rock of Arkham. The fact that they allowed the Riddler access was a blessing. In more ways than one.

Outside the cell, Jervis Tetch was extracting information from an unwitting guard. The Hatter had planted seeds of suggestion throughout Blackgate which gave him and his allies unlimited access to the highly secured facility. It hadn't taken much to convince Ed's newly acquired friends to take him to see Oswald. When they made their weekly visits late at night, the guards would inform their master of the goings-on of Blackgate, its inmates, and rumors circling around the GCPD.

Edward used the information to assist Martin and the Underworld from the shadows. Jervis and Jonathon had been more than willing to help provided they could reap the benefits once they'd escaped Arkham for good. So long as they spared Edward and his loved ones, they were free to terrorize the city as they saw fit. Oswald might not be too keen on that arrangement, but Edward wanted to believe that the risk was well worth it and that the kingpin would see that when the time came.

Edward tucked an origami penguin under his lover's pillow. He'd left one on the desk during his first visit and, upon seeing the romantic gesture, Jervis had insisted he leave more for Oswald to find. His romantic sentimentality rivaled Oswald's and he delighted in seeing the Riddler make such small and yet so profound declarations of his love.

There were ten of them neatly in a row on the small desk in the corner. A small army of paper birds marching to the beat of his heart. Beside them was a basket where his letters were kept. The moment the restrictions on their communication had been lifted, they hadn't stopped writing. They wrote every chance they could and had grown so much closer from their words alone.

One of the letters was kept separate from the rest. Edward smiled when he recognized his scrawling handwriting in the postscript:

_I am round but not a wheel. I am inside every tree and in the sound of a bell. What am I?_

Oswald, the cheeky bastard, had claimed to not know the answer. He insisted that he would be able to if he heard the riddle in person. Ed _could_ , if circumstances allowed, ask that particular riddle during one of his nightly visits. But, the Riddler had promised him a nice bottle of wine and dinner to go along with it. So, he would be a dutiful not-quite-yet fiancé and wait.

Waiting until the time was right at least gave him ample opportunity to procure a ring. Most of his assets were frozen and he wasn't exactly in a position where he could purchase one. Not like there was one adequate enough on the market in the first place. No, he would need something custom... or something stolen.

The rarity of the Dresden Green had caught his eye on more than one occasion. However, the 41-carat apple green diamond was far too large and heavy to be made a practical engagement ring. Not that Oswald would complain about its size, but Ed wanted to ensure that the Penguin had no reason to ever take it off.

His second choice was the Hortensia. The lavender diamond had a unique pentagonal cut and had once been affixed to the epaulette of Emperor Napoleon. It was as if the jewel had been made for the sole purpose of being placed into the King of Gotham's palm. Even if he didn't use it for a ring, Ed still planned on paying the Louvre a visit.

The Marsha Diamond he'd stolen years ago had been a decent candidate. It was large enough to make a statement while still allowing Oswald to wear his favorite set of plum-colored gloves. The crystal clear Marquise cut diamond would have looked stunning set in rose gold and flanked by small Emeralds and Alexandrite. But, alas, it had been given to Victor Fries as a peace offering.

“Ed...” Oswald sighed in his sleep.

Edward, once again, resisted the urge to touch him. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the desk.

The cell was bigger than most but still much too small. With his damaged eye, Oswald likely bumped into everything. The thought of him being bruised from knocking into the wooden furniture made Ed seethe.

The cell was better furnished than most. He had a slightly comfier bed with far too many blankets than what was usually permitted. Oswald was always cold. Ed smiled as he watched the smaller man roll over and nuzzle into the green and purple quilt. Luckily, it had not been a casualty of the raids or Richard Nashton's meddling.

Oswald had attained quite a collection of paperbacks. Most of which were romantic fiction and business textbooks. A well-loved copy of _De Profundis_ by Oscar Wilde was open.

“ _There is not a single wretched man in this wretched place along with me who does not stand in symbolic relation to the very secret of life. For the secret of life is suffering. It is what is hidden behind everything. When we begin to live, what is sweet is so sweet to us, and what is bitter so bitter, that we inevitably direct all our desires towards pleasures, and seek not merely for a 'month or twain to feed on honeycomb,' but for all our years to taste no other food, ignorant all the while that we may really be starving the soul.”_

Oswald was using one of the penguins as a bookmark. Though, this one was much older. Ed hitched a breath as he kissed the boxed edges of the black and gold wrapping paper. How Oswald had managed to keep it through all that they had been through was beyond him.

Beside the book was a cigarette case. Guilloché enamel in Oswald's signature color and a black opal clasp. As expected, inside were high-end luxury cigarettes. They smelled sweet.

Edward took one and pulled out a small box of matches from his breast pocket. The tobacco was a rich, light flavor. Much lighter than he expected. Especially compared to the foul ones Oswald had taken to after reunification.

He could imagine how beautifully dignified Oswald seemed with the black and gold cigarette between his fingers. How elegant it must look between his lips. Edward took one last drag of the cigarette before snuffing it out. He decided to leave it there as a sign that he had been there and hoped that Oswald would imagine his lips on his own when he smoked the rest of it.

_We should get going,_ the Hatter signed.

Edward sighed and took one last look at Oswald's sleeping form.

_Soon_ , signed the Hatter. He had a determined gleam in his eye as he reassured his friend that their mischief was not for nothing.

_Soon,_ Ed nodded, _Very soon..._

**Author's Note:**

> The [Dresden Green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Dresdner_Gr%C3%BCner_Diamant_-_Neues_Gr%C3%BCnes_Gew%C3%B6lbe_Dresden.jpg) and the [Hortensia Diamond](http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/hortensiadiamond2.jpg) are real-world jewels that I thought were fitting.
> 
> I created the Marsha Diamond specifically for this series and named it after the Queen of Diamonds from the Adam West Batman. It'll make another appearance later in the main story for reeeeeesons.


End file.
